Honey Trap by Tony Brenna

Journalist Mike Delano is seduced by fame and money, away from a career as a fearless foreign correspondent into the dark world of tabloid media. Through a titanic battle with evil international media tycoon Max Rothenberg, Delano comes out on top to reclaim his soul while gaining, losing, and regaining the love of his life, Lord Max’s daughter Rachel. The story begins when foreign correspondent Delano barely escapes from jihadists in Iraq after his savage killing of a sadistic prison guard jihadist who beheads his victims. The gruesome bestseller Delano writes after his escape leads Lord Rothenberg to hire him as his flagship tabloid’s editor. But the two men become mortal enemies whose conflict will end only when one of them is dead. Driven by revenge, Delano exploits a superstar's depravity in order to destroy Lord Rothenberg whose unhappily married daughter, Rachel, has fallen in love with Delano. Delano's sordid revelations wreck the wanton movie star's life, at the same time turning the ethical journalist into a sleazy tabloid writer who is disgusted by the stench of yellow journalism clinging to his once unblemished career. Lord Rothenberg's need to dominate the global audience – and destroy Rachel's love for Delano – leads to his shameful demise. It also triggers death and destruction on the set of a blockbuster movie, the brutal murder of a glamorous studio executive, and a massacre of Tinseltown glitterati at an Oscars night party. The players in this violent saga of lust and greed provoke enemies from all sides as Delano struggles to rescue Rachel from her tyrannical father – after extorting the criminal mogul for millions. This deadly mayhem plays out on land and sea in the Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East, and South America involving attacks by assassins, terrorists, and drug cartels. Delano triumphs professionally and weds Rachel, but success brings unexpected heartbreak. Author Tony Brenna brings decades of international journalistic experience to this debut novel.